For the purpose of the invention, “containers” are notably cans, bottles, tubes, pouches made from metal, glass and/or plastic, but also other packaging means suitable for filling liquid or viscous products for pressure filling or for pressureless filling.
For the purpose of the invention, “printing” generally means the application of one or a number of print images or imprints, notably multi-coloured print images or imprints, on the respective outer container surface, namely independent of special printing methods. The printing preferably uses print heads, also described in DE 10 2006 001 223 A1, which are known to those skilled in the art and operate according to the inkjet method. To this end, the printing colours or printing inks each are applied as fine droplets next to each other and also partly overlapping so that, overall, a multi-coloured print image results, namely after drying or curing the printing colours in the form of a colour layer or printed layer formed by the print image or imprint. For example, printing colours are used for printing the containers, said printing colours being dried or cured by energy input, i.e. by heat and/or UV radiation and/or microwave radiation and/or beta radiation, preferably by crosslinking.
For the purpose of the invention, “design feature” generally means a distinctively designed container area or container portion at least on the outer container surface, for example, but not exclusively, an embossing in the container wall, a seam generated by a blow mould during the production of the container etc.
For the purpose of the invention, the expression “substantially” means deviations from the respective exact value by +/−10%, preferably by +/−5%, and/or deviations in the form of changes insignificant to the function.
It is known to block the drape forming or blow moulding machine, which is used for drape forming or blow moulding the plastic containers, with a treatment station or treatment line, especially for direct printing, preferably for digitally printing the containers produced such that the treatment station or treatment line directly connects to the container outfeed of the drape forming or blow moulding machine.